I’m a Celebrity 2023: Dr Chris Brown reveals weird jungle routine

He’s bound for the jungle forI’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Here, Dr Chris Brown has confessed to a strange ritual involving ‘sex pheromones’.

We all have our quirks when it comes to packing a suitcase for a trip away. Some go minimalist, then buy new clothes when they get to their destination.

Some go maximalist, then buy a new identity when they arrive at their destination and their leopard-print underwear bursts out of their now-broken suitcase onto the baggage carousel.

Others adopt an Ikea-meets-Marie Kondo style of order that must surely come with instructions and an allen key for unpacking at the other end.

As for me, when I travel to Africa I like to be original and offer up what I call the SDD: the Sniffer Dog’s Dream.

Dr Chris Brown: ‘But while it seems incredible that cats are so ruled by the power of a perfume spray, maybe people aren’t that different?’ Picture: @drchrisbrown via Instagram

It’s a large bag packed with an enticing blend of clothes my cat has spent days being determined to lie on and work boots that every dog through the doors of the Bondi Junction Vet Hospital has at some stage weed or chucked on – all topped off with the pièce de résistance: a bottle of Calvin Klein Obsession For Men.

The cologne spray might seem like a selfish touch, but it’s not actually for me.

In a mildly pungent twist of fate, I pack this exact spray because it just happens to be the most enticing and alluring scent on the planet to Africa’s leopards and lions (and possibly airport beagles in small colourful jackets).

It’s a trick that was taught to me by an African wildlife vet for those moments when you want to attract big cats – as opposed to the majority of the time when it’s smart to keep yourself multiple miles away.

Yes, in a slightly awkward coincidence, the very thing we casually spray on our own (slightly less furry) chests to get interest from potential human partners smells, to a predator, like a sex pheromone found in urine. Talk about “eau de toilette”.

It’s essentially a real-life version of Ron Burgundy’s Sex Panther from Anchorman. And it works 100 per cent of the time.

But while it seems incredible that cats are so ruled by the power of a perfume spray, maybe people aren’t that different? OK, minus the urine part.

Dr Chris Brown’s latest column appears in this Sunday’s Stellar. Picture: Steven Chee for Stellar.

Be honest: have you ever walked past a crowd of people only to be completely stopped in your tracks by a surprising whiff of perfume (or cologne) that immediately transports you away to a time and place... and a feeling with an ex who wore that exact perfume?

Seriously, it’s wild – and incredibly awkward if you’re walking with your current partner when you find your pulse rate quickening and sweat appearing on your brow at the thought of those “other” times.

So why the rush of feels brought on by the fragrance? Well, it turns out that smell is one of the most potent forms of memory. Just one whiff brings everything back with it.

This surely means that walking past the perfume counter at David Jones is like a gathering of all your exes into one very treacherous and very emotional few metres. It’s a scary thought. But probably scarier if you let a leopard do it...

So while we might all have our own unique packing and perfume styles, just remember that what you choose has a surprisingly profound effect on those around you. And it can lead to lots of emotional baggage, bursting out for everyone to see.

Dr Chris Brown is a veterinarian and television host.

Originally published as I’m a Celebrity 2023: Dr Chris Brown reveals weird jungle routine